The Right to Collective Bargaining in Malaysia in the Context of ILO Standards

It is significant to remember that in Malaysia trade unions are fairly weak principally because of the legislative policies on their establishment, structure and membership. But even without these legal peculiarities, trade unions in developing countries are generally known to be relatively weak when compared with their counterparts in the West.3 Yet only strong and independent trade unions can be able to effectively exercise the right to bargain collectively. In fact, one of the arguments against the suitability of collective bargaining for developing countries is that trade unions are, in these countries, “too weak to bargain effectively and therefore it is socially undesirable to leave the standards of employment to be established by all-powerful, and by implication, ruthless employers.”

Reference: Rabiu Sani Shatsari & Kamal Halili Hassan. 2016. The Right to Collective Bargaining in Malaysia in the Context of ILO Standards. Asian Journal of Comparative Law, 2006, Vol. 1: 1-20.

 Malaysian Industrial Relations at Century’s Turn: Vision 2020 or a Spectre of the Past?

Malaysia’s industrial relations (IR) has been characterised by extensive State control guaranteeing a high level of managerial prerogative within the workplace, minimal overt conflict and very little bargaining power for labour. These arrangements were an integral component of the package to attract investors when Malaysia’s industrialisation strategy focused on low-cost, export-oriented industries. Since then, however, Malaysia has adopted the goal of developed country status by 2020 and embarked on a higher value-added, more capital-intensive industrialisation strategy. This paper analyses current Malaysian IR at the workplace level posing the question as to whether the economic progress towards ‘Vision 2020’ is being accompanied by a transformation of Malaysia’s IR. It will be seen that there is evidence of substantial growth in training, the implementation of multiskilling in some workplaces as well as isolated instances of some ‘lean production’ practices. Fundamental change however is not occurring, workers remain excluded from the decision making process both within and outside the workplace.

Reference: Patricia Todd & David Peetz. 2001.  Malaysian Industrial Relations at Century’s Turn: Vision 2020 or a Spectre of the Past?. click here

A Union Representative’s Perspective of Declining Union Membership

Fifteen percent of the participants recognized (a) union strategy, (b) technological advances, (c) political opposition, and (d) labor laws as significant to membership decline. Participant R14 said, “ There is no cohesiveness within the union. The union is not strong anymore” . Participant R11 said, “ Technology has changed the type of work available” . Participant R15 said, “ Technological advances and changes in the business model have decreased manufacturing labor needs” 

References: Melvin J. Rivers & Tim Truitt, (2014). A Union Representative’s Perspective of Declining Union Membership. International Journal of Management, Economics and Social Sciences.  Vol. 3(3), pp. 125 – 143. ISSN 2304 – 1366.